Twist of Fate
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: AU! Kelly is getting married to Fornell's nephew when the young man is tragically murdered. During the investigation she finds out more about herself and her fellow Marines than she thought she knew. Now x-over with the movie 'Avatar'
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: In trying to breakthrough my never-ending writer's block I've been trying to figure out why I've been on the 'disabled' writing kick. Employing a bit of self-psychology I've come to the following conclusion that the physical disability in question represents the underlying issues with the character in question. If a character loses a limb, it means they must try and find what they are missing in their lives. If the character ends up in a wheelchair, it symbolizes something or someone who is hindering the character.

That's part of it. The other part is that I'm probably one of those somewhat warped people who do wonder what it's like to be seriously physically handicapped.

--

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's move on to this story.

STORY SUMMARY: AU! Shannon and Kelly survived the crash, but each still carries the scars from that day. 18 years later, US Marine Corporal Kelly Gibbs comes home on leave and what should be a happy occation turns tragic and Kelly is left with more questions than answers.

* * *

** NCIS: Twist of Fate**

_"Fate is for those not daring enough to create their own destiny." _

The house was quiet when the old truck parked in the driveway next to a navy blue sedan. Night had fallen and the young woman inside was dead tired as she got out of the truck, grabbing a well-worn duffle bag from the bed of the pick-up. She'd had the bag for 8 years and she always considered it her lucky charm. Walking up to the front door, she turned the handle chuckled softly as she limped inside, quietly closing the door behind her.

It felt good to be home and walking past the door to the basement, the young woman smiled as she heard the faint sounds coming from the basement.

Not even bothering to go upstairs to her old bedroom, she left her bag on the floor in the kitchen and lay down on the couch, grabbing a pillow and quickly falling asleep, lulled by the faint sounds of wood being sanded.

----------

The sun was just starting to rise when Jethro Gibbs came down the stairs to the main floor of the house. He'd gone to bed a few hours ago and although he could have used a few more, he knew he needed to get ready to go pick up Kelly from Quantico. She was due to come home on leave today and Gibbs couldn't wait to see daughter again. Every time she came home from Iraq he always felt something in his gut unknot.

Kelly had sworn she was going to be a Marine ever since she was a child and even after a car accident when she was 8, she'd been insistent, not even letting the loss of her left leg deter her from her goal.

Shannon had been against the idea of Kelly being in the military from the start and Gibbs had always encouraged his daughter's hopes—a disagreement had culminated in a divorce the day after Kelly had signed up. But even with her parents splitting up, Kelly had been determined and had shipped out 7 months later.

Going into the kitchen, Gibbs saw Kelly's bag on the floor and smiled as he started making an extra strong pot of coffee. Once the coffee was brewing, he went in to the living room, shaking his head and smiling when he found Kelly snoring as she lay face down on the couch, her good leg curled underneath her and her arms curled around one of the pillows while the battle-worn titanium prosthetic stuck out off the edge of the couch.

When Kelly had first started basic training, she'd worked twice as hard as any other recruit and even though the prosthetic slowed her down a little she kept working at it.

Now Gibbs looked a bit closer at the prosthetic and he could see the wear and tear on the metal from sand and age. But Kelly herself looked to have been though a lot as well. She looked older and her face had more lines than a 25-year-old should have had. Gibbs knew that Kelly had her share of physical scars and sometimes he wished that Kelly hadn't followed in his footsteps.

But she was determined and headstrong and when Kelly Anne Gibbs made up her mind no one would talk her out of what she wanted to do.

After a few moments, Gibbs walked over to the fireplace and picked up the small camera he kept on the fireplace mantle for the traditional 'first day of leave' picture but as he started to take the picture of his daughter sprawled out, he heard Kelly say in a muffled voice, "That's really not nice, Dad."

Gibbs snapped the picture before Kelly started to get up. "I thought it would make an interesting addition to the photo collection."

"Maybe when I was 9 when I'd come home and sack out on the couch after physical therapy," Kelly countered as she slowly sat up, stretching out her right leg. When she felt her father staring at her, Kelly sighed and stood up. "Come on, Dad. It can't still be that weird."

"You mean the fact that you're missing a leg?" Gibbs replied. It wasn't weird… not now, anyways. But for the longest time, Gibbs had found himself unsure of what to do or how to act around his little girl. Temporarily dropping the subject for the moment, he asked, "How long's your leave?"

"8 weeks," Kelly replied, dully as she headed for the kitchen for a cup of coffee. "Just long enough to rest up and celebrate my birthday and… other things before going back."

The twitching in his gut grew stronger and Gibbs followed Kelly, knowing something was wrong when she didn't add any cream or sugar to her cup of coffee. "What's wrong, Kel? I thought I was picking you up this morning."

"It's nothing," Kelly replied, sipping her coffee. But after a few minutes, she settled herself on one of the barstools next to the counter. After a long silence, she slowly slid her left hand towards her father, looking up at him as he looked at down at her hand.

Gibbs' breath caught in his throat when he saw the ring on Kelly's left ring finger. The ring was braided gold and silver with a stunning diamond in the center. Looking up into his little girl's eyes, Gibbs asked, "So who's the lucky guy?"

Kelly let out a laugh, her blue eyes starting to sparkle. "Well, Dad… That's where it gets tricky." Seeing her father waiting calmly, Kelly replied, simply, "His name is Cedric Casper."

Seeing the mischievous look in Kelly's eye, Gibbs already knew the answer but still he asked, "Marine?" Kelly smiled and shook her head. "Navy," Gibbs guessed. When Kelly shook her head again, Gibbs said, "Civilian?"

"Dad!" Kelly laughed.

"Just tell me he's not FBI," Gibbs said, with mock-irritability.

"Well, his uncle's an FBI agent," Kelly replied, putting on a straight face. "But Cedric himself is a US Army Staff Sergeant." Setting her coffee mug down, she started fiddling with her engagement ring. After a moment she looked up at her father again. "When I arrived in Quantico yesterday morning, I was getting ready to grab my gear and head out to my truck when I was stopped by security. They said they were holding some crazy guy who was claiming to be my fiancé."

"And Cedric was waiting for you with the ring," Gibbs finished with a knowing smile.

"Isn't that how you proposed to Mom?" Kelly asked, narrowing her eyes at her father and smirking.

"I may have mentioned something when I talked to Sgt. Casper a few weeks ago in MTAC," Gibbs said, casually as he finished his cup of coffee.

Kelly smiled again as she stood to refill the two mugs. But as she came back to the counter, her mood grew solemn again. "We had a small party at the base. And I decided to head home." When felt her father's stare she said, "I kept thinking about things. The accident, mainly."

"That wasn't your fault, Kelly," Gibbs told her. "None of it."

"I know," Kelly said, nodding. "But… I'm scared, Dad," she said, sitting down again. "And not just about getting married. Neither Cedric or I are going to give up doing what we believe in."

"You said you were thinking about the accident," Gibbs prompted, thinking that the last time he and Kelly had talked about her losing her leg she'd been in high school.

Kelly nodded as she started fiddling with her coffee mug. "When I was a kid all I wanted was to be a Marine like you, Dad. After the accident, I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to prove that I could start out missing my leg. That a girl could be a top notch sniper." Looking at her father she went on. "I know you and Mom split up because I joined the Marines. And I know," she added quickly seeing her father about to argue. "—that it was just the last straw."

Gibbs nodded in understanding and recognized the conflict he'd felt after Shannon and Kelly's accident. "Maybe it's time to find a new direction," he said, finally.

-------------

FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell wasn't surprised at all when he found Gibbs down in his basement working on his boat later that afternoon. "I take it she told you," Fornell said as he came down the stairs holding a bottle of bourbon. "Guess this means we're going to be family now."

Gibbs didn't say anything as he put his tools down and took the bottle of bourbon and poured some into two empty mason jars. After taking a sip, he said, "Kelly's thinking of leaving the Marines."

Fornell looked up sharply at that. "Really? I'd have thought she'd be a lifer like you."

"Nah," Gibbs said, simply, setting his jar down and going back to work on the boat. After a moment, however, he asked, "You ever wonder what it would be like to retire?"

"God, no," Fornell replied as he took his sport jacket off and threw it over one of the sawhorses. "I'd spend most of my time trying to figure out what the hell to do with myself." When Gibbs cracked a smile Fornell said, "I'll tell you, Jethro… Nothing makes you feel like an old man more than when your kids get married."

Again Gibbs didn't say anything as he continued to work on his boat.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Gibbs popped in at NCIS after Fornell left he was greeted by Tony DiNozzo who looked a bit uneasy.

"Everything okay, boss?" Tony asked as he followed his boss to his desk. "Tried calling you and you didn't pick up."

"Something came up," Gibbs replied, succinctly as he sat down and turned his computer on.

"I was just wondering," Tony went on, quickly. "—because Shannon's been waiting for you in the conference room for about two hours."

Gibbs stood quickly and headed to the conference room, surprised to see Ziva David and NCIS Director Jennifer Sheppard in the room with Shannon.

"Nice of you to finally show up, Jethro," Shannon said, coolly.

"I'll be in my office," Jen said quickly as she stood and left the room followed by Ziva.

Once Gibbs and Shannon were alone, Gibbs felt the uneasiness settling between them and at the same time, he still had the same dizzy-butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling when he looked into her beautiful brown eyes that he'd had the first time he'd ever talked to her. "Shannon," Gibbs said, quietly in greeting.

"Jethro," Shannon replied as Gibbs sat down across the table from her. "How are you?"

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs asked, looking at his ex-wife. He could still vividly remember seeing her for the first time in the storefront window in Stillwater, PA… The first time they spoke at the train station…

Shannon gave a small sigh, letting herself get lost in memory. Gibbs' eyes were still the same piercing blue but there was age there as well and too many lines on his handsome face. "I talked with Kelly earlier," Shannon said, simply. "She told me about getting engaged to Cedric." After another awkward silence, she added, "Kelly told me she was going to stay with you while she's on leave but I'd like us—the three of us—to get together for dinner for Kelly's birthday next week."

"Not a problem," Gibbs assured Shannon as he stood and headed for the door.

Shannon stopped him as he was about to leave. "Jethro… I…"

Gibbs waited as he met Shannon's gaze. He could see the apology in her eyes and the longing to undo the past but neither of them could ever say the words. _'I'm sorry. I love you.' _"I know, Shannon," he said, simply, before walking out of the room.

---------------

While Kelly felt more comfortable staying with her father when she was on leave, her mother's house did have one thing she craved: an extra large bathtub. After getting undressed and removing her prosthetic, Kelly sat on the stool next to the tub and after putting her hair up in a messy knot, she slowly slid into the tub, reveling in the way her muscles relaxed. After a few moments she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling her head under the water for a second.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, every Marine and soldier considered a quick shower in lukewarm water a luxury. As Kelly closed her eyes and lay back in the tub, the cool ceramic feeling good against the back of her neck, she felt slightly guilty for enjoying such comfort even when she tried to tell herself she deserved this.

After a few minutes, Kelly slowly opened her eyes, rubbing the back of her neck and rolling her shoulders. Raising her right leg and resting her heel on the edge of the tub, she studied the surgical scar going behind her knee and down her leg. She traced the scar lightly before looking at her left leg.

While Kelly had been allowed to leave the hospital a few weeks after the car accident when she was a child, her mother had been more seriously injured and had remained in the hospital for almost a year while recovering from hip and pelvic fractured and having her back broken in three places. Even now, Shannon still had occasional pain after long days and often spent up to an hour in a hot bath.

"Kelly?"

Kelly jumped as her mother stuck her head in the bathroom. "Mom, knock, please," Kelly said, as she felt her heart race.

"Sorry, honey," Shannon said with a smile. "Can I get you anything?"

"A cold beer?" Kelly asked, knowing it wasn't likely to happen since her mother didn't entirely approve of her daughter drinking in the bathtub.

"Sure," Shannon said with a short nod. "Anything else?"

Surprised that her mom had agreed, Kelly shook her head. "I'm good, Mom."

"Okay," Shannon said with a smile. "It's good to have you home, honey."

"Thanks, Mom," Kelly replied, smiling back. When her mother closed the bathroom door, Kelly again closed her eyes and leaned back in the tub.

--------------

"I hear Kelly's getting married," Army Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann said as she descended the stairs of Gibbs' basement carrying the usual bags of Chinese take-out.

Gibbs looked up from his boat when he smelled the food and nodded. "Yeah."

"Hmm," Holly said as she set the food down on the work bench and studied her on-again, off-again boyfriend. "You're not happy about it, are you?" She asked, studying Gibbs' expression. "Because Sgt. Casper is Army and your daughter is a Marine?"

"Ah, Hell, Hol," Gibbs said, exasperated. "You gonna bring that up again?"

"Oh, let me guess," Holly said, annoyance in her voice. "You and Director Sheppard are on this week."

"Holly, I don't want to fight about this, okay?" Gibbs said, looking apologetic.

"Well, I don't want to fight either," Holly replied, stubbornly. Sighing, she said, "CID found a body this morning—burned. We're still waiting on DNA."

Gibbs nodded sympathetically. Those types of cases were hard on everyone. "It's Kelly's birthday next week," he said, going to see what Holly had brought for dinner.

"Ahhh," Holly replied with a knowing smirk. "Meaning that you and Shannon have to try and get along."

Sitting down on one of the sawhorses with a container of chow mein and a pair of chopsticks, Gibbs said, "She came to NCIS today. Wanted to let me know about Kelly's birthday dinner."

"Sometimes I forget just how complicated you are, Jethro," Holly said, digging into her favorite ginger beef.

----------------


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sun was starting to peek over the tops of the trees as Kelly went for her morning run. Dressed in shorts and a tank top she smiled and nodded as she passed other runners, joggers, and dog walkers, pretending to ignore the looks and stares.

It was hard enough dealing with her disability when she was a child, dealing with other kids making fun of her. Kelly's best friend, Maddie Tyler, had tried to stick up for her as much as possible, but Kelly always felt alone.

Until she joined the Marines.

The other men and women in the Corps respected Kelly's dedication and her stubbornness. Sure, there were a few people who didn't think Kelly had what it took, but she never gave up.

There were plenty of people in the armed forces missing limbs but even when Kelly occasionally hung out with the other military amputees, she still felt slightly out of place. Probably because she'd spent most of her life without her leg and for most of the others it was a recent disability.

Hearing someone honking their car horn, Kelly slowed to a walk and turned to see Ziva David stopping a little ways ahead. Kelly stopped and gave her friend a smile. "Hey, Ziva."

"I need you to come with me, Kelly," Ziva said, quickly. "It's urgent."

"Are Mom and Dad okay?" Kelly asked, worried.

"They're fine," Ziva replied in a hurried tone. "Cedric was murdered."

"What?" Kelly said, sure that she'd misheard.

"I am very sorry," Ziva said, quietly. "I know the two of you loved each other."

"Wait," Kelly said, hurriedly. "When… What happened? When was he…?"

"He was killed two nights ago," Ziva explained. After a pause, she went on. "Colonel Mann needs to question you."

Kelly's head was spinning at the news and she asked, "She doesn't think that _I_ killed him, does she?" Seeing the question in Ziva's eyes, Kelly sighed. "I mean we… w-we fought before I left b-but I didn't kill him!"

Ziva took Kelly by the shoulders and waited until the younger woman looked at her. "I believe you. And Gibbs talked Col. Mann into doing the interrogation at NCIS."

Kelly nodded and once in Ziva's car, the two ladies headed for NCIS Headquarters.

-----

In the observation room, Gibbs stared through the two-way mirror at Kelly who was—unknowingly—facing him. Kelly looked like she'd been crying and there was fear in her eyes.

How could Holly even _think_ Kelly was capable of violently killing someone? True as a Marine with Sniper training Kelly was capable… But stabbing someone before setting them on fire?

The door to the observation room opened and Tony DiNozzo came in followed by Ducky, Ziva, and Jen. "How's Kelly?" Tony asked, looking at Kelly who was still alone in the interrogation room.

"Scared," Ziva replied, simply.

Gibbs looked at Tony who started giving a situation report. "Abby's working the evidence with some tech from Army CID. McGee's talking with some of Sgt. Casper's friends and tracking where Kelly was for almost 3 hours after she left the party."

Gibbs turned back to the interrogation room when the door opened and Holly walked in, sitting opposite Kelly. Once the sound was on, Gibbs stepped closer to the glass.

--

"So what happened Tuesday?" Holly asked, getting right to the point.

Kelly took a deep breath as she put both hands on the table, slowly fiddling with the engagement ring. "I got in to Quantico at about 10:45 that morning. I was still in uniform so I took a long shower and changed clothes. I grabbed my gear and was heading for the parking lot when security stopped me." After a brief pause, she went on. "I met Cedric in one of the smaller meeting rooms and he proposed. I said 'yes' then we went out to Grayson's Steakhouse where some of Cedric's friends and mine had organized an engagement party."

"What time did you arrive at Grayson's?" Holly asked.

Kelly sighed as she thought back. "Um… 1725, about." Seeing Holly's look, Kelly shrugged. "We had a… a private celebration before we headed to the party."

Holly nodded and then said, "At about 2145 some of your friends stated that you and Cedric started fighting." Fixing Kelly with a look, she asked, "What were you fighting about?"

Kelly took a shuddering breath as she remembered the last time she'd spoken to Cedric. "We were…" Her voice caught in her throat and after a moment she said, "We were arguing about… when to have the wedding."

Holly raised an eyebrow at that and despite the situation, she couldn't help but find the idea a little absurd. "You fought about when to get married?"

Kelly tried not to seem overly-emotional as she explained. "Cedric wanted to wait until one of us was discharged from the military. And some of his buddies… not so discreetly suggested that it should be me."

"But you thought it should have been him," Holly supplied. She considered her own relationship with Gibbs. Currently it looked like one of them would have to retire in order for them to have a serious relationship.

But Kelly stiffened a bit. "I asked him why one of us had to quit in order for us to be married," Kelly said, shortly. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to compose herself. "I told him that I was _not_ going to leave the Corps and maybe he should be the one to leave the army." She couldn't help the tears falling down her cheeks as she remembered all the things she and Cedric had said to each other. "We just… started screaming at each other. I even…" Fiddling with the ring again, she said, "At the end, I pulled off the ring… and threw it across the room before I stormed out and got in my truck and drove off." Kelly sniffed and said in a choked voice, "I just drove. I just… One of the other Marines in my unit… he called me… had me meet him at this diner. He'd found the ring. He wanted me to think before I broke off the engagement. Then I went to Dad's place."

--

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" Abby said as she burst into the observation room.

"What is it, Abby?" Gibbs said, quickly, hoping it was good news.

"I think I found something," Abby said, quickly. "Well, not me, but McGee found something."

Gibbs turned to Ducky and Jen. "Keep an eye on things," he said, quickly before going with Tony, Ziva, and Abby back to the forensics lab where McGee was waiting. "What do you got, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Restaurant surveillance footage, boss," McGee replied, bringing up the footage on the larger wall monitor. Pointing, he said, "On the right is Army Staff Sergeant Cedric Casper. On the left is Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jacob Andrews."

As they watched the video of the two men arguing, Tony saw Andrews pushing Cedric towards the door. "I think we need to talk to Lance Corporal Andrews, boss."

"Go," Gibbs ordered, watching the silent video. What happened that night? And why…

--------------

Jake Andrews wasn't surprised when he saw the two federal agents coming towards him while he was with his brother and sisters at the park. But when the two held up their badges and identified themselves as NCIS agents, he did raise an eyebrow. "Staff Sgt. Casper was Army, ma'am," Jake said when Ziva stated the purpose of the visit. "Shouldn't CID be here?"

"We are helping them in the investigation," Ziva replied, simply.

"Because of Corporal Gibbs, right? 'Cause you think she killed Casper?" Jake asked. When Tony nodded, Jake sighed as she walked the perimeter of the playground, watching for his younger siblings. "Casper was an idiot. One of those hot shots who thinks the military is a great foundation for careers and bagging women."

"Why did you join the Corps?" Tony asked, curious.

"Dad was a drunk," Jake replied. "Mom is a wannabe singer who's never around." Looking over at his 12-year-old brother and 6 and 9 year old sisters, he said, "Dad's sister watched them when I'm gone. Otherwise it's me. They need someone to look up to."

"What did you and Casper argue about?" Tony asked, sensing a love triangle brewing.

"One of things I love most about Kelly," Jake admitted. "—is how dedicated she is to the Marine Corps. She gives her heart and soul every damn day. And that… stupid jerk wanted her to give that up. And then he was going to walk away. Said that Kelly wasn't taking the relationship seriously."

"Did you give Kelly her engagement ring back?" Ziva asked, curiously.

"No," Jake said, frowning. "I left after Casper and I argued. Went straight home. Casper had the ring. Said he didn't spent almost two grand on a ring to have it thrown in his face. I nearly decked him for that."

----------

"Kelly?"

Kelly looked up when she heard Abby's voice. "Hey," she said, wearily.

Abby gave her a smile and sat down opposite. "I need something from you."

"Anything," Kelly said, earnestly. "If it'll help prove me innocent…"

"I need your ring," Abby said, looking at Kelly. "If I can pull a print off of it…"

Kelly took the ring off and handed it over. "Don't worry about giving it back," she said, quietly.

After putting the ring in an evidence bag, Abby hugged Kelly who hugged back. "I am so so sorry about this."

Pulling away. Kelly nodded. "Me, too, Abbs."

----

In the squad room, Holly, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee gathered for a meeting. "Tony, sit-rep," Gibbs said, looking at the plasma screen in the squad room.

"Jacob Andrews has an air-tight alibi," Tony reported. "We ran down the other people at the party. Nothing out of the ordinary, but one of the other marines in Kelly's unit, Private First Class Jackson Hunt—" Tony pulled up Hunt's service record on the plasma screen. "—told us that he was the one who met Kelly at the diner. Didn't seem too friendly with Casper, boss."

"Actually, it's rather interesting," Ziva reported. "Casper's men were not very fond of Kelly, except to comment that she was a 'hottie'."

"On the other hand," Tony continued. "The other Marines were very protective of Kelly."

"It's like a gang war, boss," McGee said, simply. "Except with US military."

"Okay, but who killed Staff Sgt. Casper?" Holly asked, impatiently.

"Staff Sergeant Cedric Casper," Abby said as she joined the group. When the others turned to look at her, she held up an evidence bag containing a bloody knife. "A US Military M6 Bayonet," She said, matter-of-factly. "With _two _sets of fingerprints. Casper's… And PFC Hunt's."


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTES: While Kelly is exonerated in this chapter this story is not over yet. What happens next? Mmm….. you guys tell me. Not quite sure how I want to finish. Ideas are welcome.

Chapter 4

* * *

While Tony and Ziva went to bring in PFC Hunt for questioning, Gibbs went home and down in the basement he found Fornell waiting for him looking grim. "I'm sorry about your nephew, Tobias," Gibbs said, sincerely.

"Thanks, Jethro," Fornell replied with a nod as he held out a case file. "Since you're in an apology mode… how about receiving one?"

Gibbs was puzzled as he took the case file and sat down under the boat frame to look at it. "Sheila and Morgan Casper… Cedric's parents. Convicted of murder and espionage."

"Convicted by you, Jethro," Fornell went on. "Cedric's been bitter about the whole thing from the moment I took him in. I tried to explain that his parents were traitors but he kept insisting they were framed." Giving Gibbs a pointed look, he added, "Sheila died in prison 14 months ago. Morgan was killed a few weeks later."

"Right before Cedric met Kelly," Gibbs said as he stood, closing the file. "The whole relationship was a set-up." Pacing a moment, he turned back to Fornell. "A set-up for what?"

"Don't ask me, Jethro," Fornell said with a deep sigh. "Hell, I never knew any of this was going on."

* * *

Sitting opposite Tony and Ziva in Interrogation Room 2, PFC Hunt was calm as he told the NCIS agents what had happened. "We all knew something was off with Casper," Hunt said, looking down at the table. When he looked up, he looked determined. "I was there that night, sir. When Casper died."

"You killed Staff Sergeant Casper?" Tony said, doubtfully. Exchanging a glance with Ziva, he gave a wry chuckle. "'Cause… I just don't see it, honestly."

"I did not kill him," Hunt said, simply. "I tried to stop him."

"You were trying to stop him from killing himself," Ziva finished. "So you went to find Casper… to talk to him?"

Hunt nodded. "I knew something was going on with him. I had a buddy do some digging and I found out that Casper's parents were traitors. Tuesday night when Casper said those things to Kelly at the party… He wanted her pissed, ma'am. He wanted to pick a fight and he wanted Kelly furious with him. After Casper left, I followed him to the woods. He'd started a bonfire. That's when I confronted him."

"_You're some piece of work, you know that?" Hunt said as he approached Casper who was watching the fire build._

"_Yeah?" Casper said, turning to face the other man. "How's that?"_

"He had a knife in his hand," Hunt continued. "Said that Gibbs had destroyed his family. Said he was going to return the favor. I rushed him and grabbed the knife."

_Hunt watched as Casper put the blade of his knife to his chest. Rushing forward, Hunt tried to pull the blade away but Casper kept pulling. Finally, Casper pulled away and the momentum drove the knife into his heart._

"I didn't mean to let go, sir," Hunt insisted. "He fell onto the fire, and…"

"And so you just let him burn," DiNozzo finished, frowning. "What? You thought the fire would destroy the evidence?"

Hunt was quiet for a moment before he said, "I know I should have called NCIS and Army CID. But I wanted to protect Kelly."

"Why Kelly?" Ziva asked, starting to be curious. "There are two other female Marines in your unit. Gunnery Sergeant Connie Francis and Captain Natalie Wood. And yet you are all focused on Kelly." Giving Hunt a look, she asked, "Why exactly is that?"

Hunt took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "Kelly is… She's our queen." Seeing DiNozzo and Ziva giving him odd looks he tried to explain. "We—all of us—believe in what we do and we're loyal to one another, but… But Kelly… If any of us are afraid, she'll give us a smile and a nod and that's it. You can look at her and see that even if she's afraid, she's still going to go out and fight with everything she has in her. You can't name a single man in my unit that wouldn't run headlong into danger to help her. Corporal Kelly Gibbs is the embodiment of everything the Marine Corps stands for." Going slightly on the defensive he added, "If you're going to accuse me or any of the other guys of being in love with Kelly… of willing to do anything to protect her, go ahead. Because any one of us would gladly take the fall for Cedric Casper's death."

xxxx

In the observation room, Kelly pressed a hand to her mouth as tears ran silently down her face. She didn't deserve that kind of loyalty.

Next to her, Gibbs put a hand on his daughter's shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. When Kelly moved closer and leaned against him, Gibbs pulled her into a hug.

"I'm just a Marine," Kelly whispered, turning back to the interrogation room and wiping her eyes. "I don't deserve this," she said, motioning to PFC Hunt.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked, a bit surprised. When Kelly turned to him, he added, "Kelly, PFC Hunt is willing to go to prison for a murder he didn't commit. He's willing to take the fall for the death of a man who wanted to ruin your life."

"Why?" Kelly said, feeling even more confused than ever. "Dad, all I have ever done is try to be like you. Brave, strong… compassionate. And now I find out that the Marines I command and my superior officers are ready and willing to… jump of a bridge if I jump first. I mean what the Hell am I supposed to do with that?!"

The corners of Gibbs' mouth tweaked upwards in a smile and there was pride in his eyes as he said, "Welcome to being a leader, Kel." Looking at Hunt he said, "You give the men in your command encouragement and something to aspire to." With a smirk, he added, "Better get used to it." When Kelly gave him a puzzled look, he held out a piece of paper. "Doesn't get any easier."

"Sergeant?" Kelly said, looking at the promotion order. Her head was spinning and yet just when she thought her head was about to explode she felt a inexplicable calm come over her. She was a Marine and that meant that she had to put her personal issues aside. Straightening up and looking her father in the eye, she gave him a nod. "I'll do my best to make you proud, Dad."

Gibbs hugged Kelly and said quietly, "I couldn't be any more proud of you, Kelly." His tone becoming more serious, he asked, "So… As PFC Hunt's superior officer, how do you want us to proceed?"

"You're asking me?" Kelly asked, a bit puzzled.

"You're higher up in the ranks," Gibbs replied, simply. "Based on the case and the facts… how should we proceed?"

Kelly considered the question. Hunt hadn't killed anyone. Had—in fact—tried to _prevent_ Casper from killing himself. Hunt had admitted that he'd confronted Casper… but there was something she needed to know. "I need to talk to him."

Gibbs nodded and watched Kelly go into the interrogation room and dismiss Tony and Ziva.

xxxx

"Corporal, I can explain," Hunt said, standing quickly as the door closed behind Tony and Ziva.

Kelly held up a hand to silence Hunt and she gave a brief nod at his chair. Once they were seated, she said, "My father has been an NCIS agent for more than 15 years. We have one of the best forensics techs in the country right here. The people on my father's team are first rate." Waiting until Hunt looked her in the eye, she asked, "Why did you feel you had to protect me from an investigation?"

"Casper was going to kill himself and set it up as a murder," Hunt explained. "The knife he used was the one you gave him for his birthday 3 weeks ago. He picked a fight with you on purpose." When Kelly didn't say anything, he grew flustered. "Army CID would have investigated you for murder, not NCIS!"

Kelly knew what Hunt was saying. She knew that he had tried to keep her from being arrested and while he hadn't actually committed murder, he had impeded the investigation. While she wanted to give him a slide she was a sergeant now. "Special Agent Gibbs wants my recommendation for punishment."

Hunt nodded in understanding. "Discharge from the Corps?" Shaking his head in exasperation he added, "Just don't make it dishonorable. That'd just break my mom's heart."

"You're still in the Corps, Private," Kelly said, simply. "Demotion and a formal reprimand will be in your file." Seeing Hunt about to thank her she cut him off quickly. "I'm not going easy on you. And when we get back to Iraq I am going to ride your ass. I know you guys jump when I say jump but now… when I say jump you're going to ask how high and which foot to land on first." Standing, she added, "And it's now Sergeant Gibbs. Understood?"

Hunt nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

xxx

When Kelly met her father in the hallway, she saw the look of approval in his eyes. "Can I ask you something, Dad?"

"Shoot," Gibbs said, looking interested.

Kelly paused a moment and then asked, "Did you ever… get the feeling that you just had your power and influence go straight to your head?"

"Yes, I have," Gibbs replied with a smirk and he and Kelly walked towards the elevators.

"How'd you snap out of it?" Kelly wanted to know as they got into the elevator. As Gibbs hit the button, he smacked Kelly on the back of the head. "Thanks, Dad," Kelly said, succinctly.

"You're welcome," Gibbs replied as the doors closed.


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay… so in trying to figure out how to finish this story, I have decided on making the rest a crossover with one of my new favorite movies: Avatar.

It wasn't exactly intentional but my brain kept mixing the two so I have decided to go for it. It will now be refilled under crossovers.

I'm just introducing the crossover element with this chapter and hopefully next chapter will be a nice, long one.

Chapter 5

* * *

Over the next few days, Kelly spent most of her time in the NCIS gym taking out her frustrations on a punching bag. Sometimes she just felt so angry… frustrated…

Pausing for a moment after an extra-long session, she stopped and stared at the punching bag before giving it one last shot as hard as she could before stripping her gloves off.

"So what did the bag do to you?" Tony asked as he came into the room dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt.

"Shut up, DiNozzo," Kelly said with a slight catch in her voice.

Tony stopped her and waited till she turned to face him, her eyes red from crying. "Kelly…" Tony said, looking at the young woman sympathetically.

"I don't want to talk about it, DiNozzo," Kelly sniffed as she sat down on a bench along the wall. Wiping her nose, she sighed when Tony sat down next to her. "I'm cursed."

Tony smiled at that and tried to cheer Kelly up. "Cursed? You're not cursed. You're just—"

"I've had two relationships my whole life!" Kelly replied, cutting Tony off. Standing up, she said, "I-I shouldn't be surprised… you know? I mean Mom hasn't dated anyone since she and Dad split up. And Dad's either with Jen or Holly depending on what day of the week it is."

"You're not cursed," Tony insisted as he stood and pulled Kelly into a hug.

"Why can't I find a guy like you, Tony?" Kelly said, pulling away and heading for the locker room.

"I think you'd be better off with someone like McGee," Tony replied, wincing at the thought of what Gibbs would do to him if he started dating Kelly. After a moment, he hesitantly headed into the locker room, ready to look away if he caught a glimpse of Kelly undressing. But instead, he found her sitting on the bench, crying. And as much as Tony wanted to say something to make her feel better, he was at a loss for words.

* * *

"That's not a boat," Shannon said as she came down the steps of Gibbs' house and saw the wooden structure her ex-husband was working on.

"Had to move it to make room," Gibbs replied, not looking up as he heard Shannon grabbing a beer from the small cooler below the workbench. "It's part of Kelly's birthday gift."

"I'm worried about Kelly, Jethro," Shannon said as sat down by the workbench. Setting her beer down, she sighed. "DiNozzo came to see me this morning. Kelly's miserable. She thinks that she's cursed when it comes to relationships."

Gibbs set his tools down and leaned against what would be the exterior frame of a jacuzzi hot tub-Kelly's birthday gift. "She's not cursed."

Shannon sighed as she looked at Gibbs. "I still love you, Jethro. Sometimes I pretend that I don't, but…" Taking Gibbs's hand she added, "And I've seen that look in your eyes. I know you feel the same way."

Gibbs looked away. He did still love Shannon. But he also loved Holly… and Jen… "It's not that simple, Shannon," Gibbs said, quietly, dodging the issue.

"I know it's not," Shannon said, trying not to start shouting. "But I'm thinking about Kelly."

"_You _divorced _me_," Gibbs pointed out as he went back to the wood work. "Because you didn't want Kelly to join the Marines."

"I was scared, Jethro," Shannon replied. "I still get scared every time Kelly leaves. But I also know that every day she seems to act a little more like you… and that makes me feel better."

Gibbs looked up, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "And why is that?"

"Because I know that Kelly can handle herself no matter what happens," Shannon replied, sipping her beer. "And I'm not saying that we should start over. Just… give it one more try. Worst thing that happens is we end up falling in love again."

* * *

_Pandora, 2149_

_There is a saying among deities that no one can see for certain the destinies that lie in others. They can only put those of potential together and pray that when the time comes, things will happen as they are supposed to._

_Human guardians—angels—spared Kelly Gibbs because she would be able to eliminate a sworn enemy of her country. But her resolve to be a warrior has begun to waver. Her heart had been wounded and she does not feel she deserves the loyalty and dedication her fellow Marines show her._

_Eywa, Goddess of the Na'vi People of Pandora has already chosen a Human Warrior to aid in the coming battle. But the Divine Beings who watch over Earth believe that another Human should be sent to help as well. _

_Perhaps two lost souls can be helped to the same time._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

As she awoke in a strange chamber, Kelly felt like she'd gone 10 rounds with Jose Cuervo and lost every single one of them. Looking around, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Her body felt weightless and after a moment, she felt the chamber open. It took her only a few moments to realize that somehow she must be in outer space. She was in some sort of space station or something. "Where am I?" Kelly said, quietly. Something told her that she wasn't in Kansas anymore… and judging by the technology around her she was willing to bet that it was no longer 2008.

After one of the doctors floating about helped disconnect her from the tubes and wires that had been keeping her alive for the past 5 years, Kelly was directed to a row of lockers and to her surprise she found a locker with her name on it. Opening it up, she found her old duffel bag and—to even greater surprise—the carry case that held her sniper rifle, a rifle that had been her father's when he'd been in the Marines.

Once she'd changed into her camo, she grabbed the case and duffle and made her way to one of the station exits and grabbed a seat in what looked like the carrier planes she usually rode home in from Iraq. Strapping in, she made sure her things were secure and looked up when she heard someone talking.

"Mind if I take this seat?"

Kelly studied the young man who'd approached her and shrugged. "Go for it."

"Thanks," the other man said as he moved from the wheelchair he'd been sitting in to the seat next to her. One he's folded the wheelchair and secured it next to him, he turned to Kelly and held out his hand. "Corporal Jake Sully. USMC."

Kelly shook his hand and gave a short nod. "Sergeant Kelly Gibbs. Also United States Marine Corps." After a moment, she asked, "Look, maybe you can help me with something."

"Sure. What?" Jake asked, curiously.

Kelly gave a short laugh and said, "This is… going to sound completely crazy, but… What the Hell is going on?" Seeing Jake's puzzled look, she clarified. "I know how this is going to sound, but… I don't know where we're going, what's going on… I don't even know what year it is!"

Jake's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right?"

Kelly shrugged. "I wish I was. Last thing I know it was 2008, I'd just been promoted and my fiancé framed me for murder."

Jake took that in and tried to figure if Kelly was insane or not. After a few moments, he said, "It's 2149 and we're heading for a moon called Pandora."

'_Yep,'_ Kelly thought to herself as Jake started talking about Pandora and all that had happened in the past 141 years. _'__**Definitely**__ not in Kansas anymore.'_


	6. Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I would like to say that without the encoragement from writer WarriorDarkAngel it would probably have been much longer before this story got updated. Hopefully I'll have more with this story soon.

Also, I'm aware that the blending of the movie 'Avatar' and the TV show 'NCIS' is unconventional at best. But hopefully I can do a good job of writing it.

Chapter 6

* * *

Kelly had been in hellholes in Iraq, had actually been forced to spend three whole days stuck up a tree in Tabriz in Iran, and been caught in a bombing raid in Afghanistan.

But walking towards the main compound, she could tell that this was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Seeing the huge arrows stuck in the sides of the tires of a transport vehicles, she could just imagine how large the shooters had to be.

"If you want to get out of here now," Jake said as he and Kelly headed inside, taking off their exo-packs and heading to the security briefing.

Kelly smiled and said, "Jake, I have never ducked out of anything. Except once at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball."

"Well, that was about 3months ago so you're safe on that," Jake replied with a grin. He liked Kelly. She didn't ask about the wheelchair and she didn't seem to see him as a pity case. When they sat in the back of the room, Jake looked at the case Kelly set down on the table next to her. He knew what it was and wondered why she'd bring it here.

Listening to the security briefing, Kelly knew she should be afraid. Hell, she was the only woman in the room. But as she put a hand on the rifle case, she didn't feel afraid. Just like any mission, the first step was to scope out the lay of the land, figure out how things worked.

When the briefing ended, Jake started to back up as Kelly grabbed her gear. "So any idea what you're doing here?" Jake asked as he and Kelly headed for the lab.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Corporal," Kelly replied with a shrug. "I'm making it up as I go along."

"You know, you can call me 'Jake' if you want," Jake replied, looking up at Kelly.

Kelly nodded and was about to reply when she heard someone shouting Jake's name—and hers—behind them. Slowing down to let the other person catch up, Kelly recognized the nerdy looking guy who had been at the briefing. "Hi," Kelly said, looking the new comer over. Definitely a science guy.

"Hi. I'm Norm Spellman," he said with a smile. After shaking Kelly's hand he turned to Jake. "You're Jake, right? Tom's brother. You look just like him. I went through Avatar training with him."

"Nice to meet ya," Jake said and the three of them headed to the biolab.

"So…" Kelly started, not sure of how to broach the subject that she was… a little out of place. But as she stepped into the lab, she caught a glimpse of three huge containment units and as Norm started talking, Kelly headed over to the units, Jake behind her.

There were three huge creatures, one in each unit, Kelly stopped by the middle one while Norm and Jake went over to look at the unit at the end. Avatar… Kelly studied what must have been hers and she could see the facial similarities.

As Jake studied his own Avatar, he didn't see the resemblance to himself. All he could see was his brother. "It looks like him," Jake said as he stared at the large creature.

"No," Norm said, looking at Jake. "It looks like you. This is your Avatar now, Jake."

Jake nodded. "Yeah. Right."

After the tour of the biolab and link room, Kelly surreptitiously watched as Jake made his first video log. After a moment, she felt someone behind her and turned to see Norm. "So… how did you know who I was?"

Norm looked surprised at the question and shrugged. "When I checked in I saw your name on the roster. And you were the only woman, so I figured it was a safe bet who you were. Why?"

Kelly smiled and shrugged. "Let's just say… I'm a little out of touch with this whole thing."

"Not a scientist, huh?" Norm asked with a grin.

"Well, not like this," Kelly said, defensively. "I'm brilliant with a mass spectrometer."

Norm's smile faded as he looked at Kelly in surprise. No one had worked with that kind of equipment for almost 40 years. Something seemed off about her… but deciding to file the thought for later, he changed topic. "So where were you stationed before?"

"Iraq," Kelly replied, easily. "Have to admit… this humidity actually makes me miss the desert."

x

When he was done with his log, Jake went over to Norm and Kelly. Maybe it was wanting to protect a fellow Marine or maybe it was understanding feeling completely out of place. Either way, he wanted to keep an eye on Kelly. At least until she started to find her footing.

When Norm, Jake, and Kelly followed Dr. Max Patel into the link room, Jake was hardly surprised when Dr. Grace Augustine wouldn't look at him. She was more interested in Norm who started speaking in Na'vi.

"He gave her a traditional greeting," Kelly whispered to him as quietly as she could. "She… I think she said… something much less formal."

"And how do you know that?" Grace asked, studying Kelly. The younger woman certainly didn't look like a scientist but she clearly had a knack for languages.

"Norm's body language and tone of voice was formal… elegant," Kelly replied. "Yours was casual."

"Uh, Grace," Max said, looking at her as he indicated Jake. "This is Jake Sully."

Grace looked annoyed and put out as she snapped at Jake, "Yeah, yeah. I know who you are. And I don't need _you_. I need your brother." Looking at Max, she added, "You know… the PhD who trained for 3 years on this mission."

"He's dead," Jake said, sounding pissed. "Sorry it's such an inconvenience for everyone." Oh, how he wished his legs worked. He hated this. No one wanted him around and everyone else looked at him like he didn't belong here. Everyone wanted Tom. No one gave a crap about—Looking up when he felt a hand on his shoulder, Jake saw Kelly give him an 'I'm with you' look.

Max looked apologetic as he said, "Be here 0800 tomorrow morning."

"You got it," Kelly said with a nod. Looking at Norm, she asked, "So where can I get a cup of coffee?"

x

"That was uncalled-for," Kelly said as she and Jake sat in the mess hall. "Dr. Augustine had no right to act like that."

"Yeah, whatever," Jake muttered. He wished he wasn't here. That Tom was here instead. But his brother was gone. And when Jake was really honest with himself, he knew that a paralyzed Marine had no business being in a place like this.

"You're not useless, Jake," Kelly said, giving him a look. "And you can either be useful or just meet everyone's expectations which at this point are really low so it shouldn't be that difficult to do."

"You know, it's easy for you to say," Jake snapped, his anger rising. "You still have full use of your legs."

Kelly smiled, almost as if she'd been waiting for the opening, and moved so Jake could see her left leg. Rolling up the leg of her pants, she made sure Jake could see the prosthetic. "And before you start thinking it happened while I was fighting, let me correct that notion."

"Happened on leave?" Jake guessed. He knew a few Marines who'd ended up injured when they were home.

"When I was 8," Kelly replied, tucking her pants leg back into her boot. "Car accident. When I first started basic training there were only a few other recruits who thought I had what it took. Everyone kept telling me I shouldn't be there. That I should get a job in the mess hall." Giving Jake a look, she said, "Sound familiar?"

"Not exactly the same thing," Jake pointed out. He knew Kelly was trying to make him feel better but it didn't change the facts.

Kelly sighed as she leaned on the table, arms folded. "No, it's not. I'm just saying that I know what it's like to have to seriously prove myself."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Kelly was up at 0500 and got dressed in her favorite sweatpants, tank top, and sneakers. She wished she could get outside for a run first. But maybe there was a workout room where she could get some exercise in. Heading out of the bunk area, she headed down the hallways past the biolab and finally headed towards the mess hall which was surprisingly empty.

Except for Dr. Grace Augustine who was sitting at one of the tables, sipping a cup of coffee. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, a bit surprised to see Kelly standing there. "Early riser, huh?"

"I usually get up early and go for a run," Kelly replied as she sat across from the scientist. "Helps calm my mind."

Grace studied Kelly for a while, not sure what to make of the younger woman. She'd done some background the previous night and the only Kelly Anne Gibbs that had shown up twhose picture matched the young woman she was now looking at had died exactly 100 years ago. Grace Augustine had never put stock in divine intervention but there was something about the young woman sitting across from her that just seemed… off. "Hmm," was all she said before returning to her coffee.

"Is there a work-out room, by chance?" Kelly asked, practically feeling the older woman sizing her up.

"Down the hall," Grace replied, pointing. When Kelly had left, Grace watched her leave, noting with interest the ever so slight limp.

xx

After an hour on the treadmill—hardly ideal, but acceptable in a pinch—Kelly felt more ready to face what was sure to be an interesting day. After a quick shower and changing into a pair of track pants and a t-shirt, she headed to the biolab where various scientists were transferring the Avatars from the tanks to what appeared to be some sort of operating theater.

"Good morning," Max Patel said, cheerfully when he noticed her.

"Morning," Kelly replied, still feeling overwhelmed by everything. "So… uh… Any chance I can get started on… whatever, or…?"

Max took a moment to understand what Kelly had meant and nodded. "Uh, yeah. Sure. This way. Actually, your Avatar was the first removed, so…"

Kelly followed Max over to the link bed but as she sat down and raised her right leg she stopped.

"Something wrong?" Max asked, concerned.

Kelly didn't answer right away but after a moment she shook her head before grabbing the left leg of her pants and pulling her left leg up, slightly exposing the titanium prosthetic.

"You know, you can take that off if you want," Max offered, gently.

Kelly stared at the prosthetic for a moment. There were a lot of times she didn't think about it. It was something she'd lived with almost her whole life but every now and then something called attention to the fact that she was missing a leg and an artificial one—no matter how well constructed—just wasn't the same thing. Looking at Max who was being extrememly patient, she asked, "This isn't going to mess with the, uh... the Avatar body, is it?"

Max gave her a smile and shook his head. "No, the Avatar's motor function is independent of yours." Giving Kelly a concerned look, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Kelly nodded and after a moment, she removed the prosthetic, handing it to Max who set it aside. "So what now?"

"Lay back," Max instructed, simply. When Kelly was lying down, he lowered the frame that registered heart rate, respiration, and neural activity. "Just let your mind go blank."

Kelly nodded and closed her eyes as the top of the link bed closed. Focusing on her breathing, she let her mind drift. Soon, she felt as though she was being sucked into a tunnel of lights and finally, she finally blinked at the bright lights suddenly appearing before her eyes.

"Kelly? Kelly?"

Kelly blinked as her vision focused. After a few minutes she was able to sit up, the other techs making notes of her progress. But what surprised her was when she was able to wiggle her toes on _both_ feet. _'Been a _long_ time since I could do that,'_ she thought. "Wow," she said, under her breath.

"You okay, Kelly?" one of the techs asked, looking concerned.

"Uh…" Kelly shook her head, smiling as she moved both legs over the edge of the bed. "No, just, uh… Haven't had a left leg for more than 16 years." She whirled around suddenly, looking a little surprised at her tail. "Whoa! Okay…"

"It's okay," another tech said, calmly. "Don't worry. The tail's for balance."

"O-okay," Kelly replied, hesitantly.

By the time Kelly had gone through the whole rigmarole of tests—making sure she was in complete control of the Avatar body—Jake and Norm had linked with theirs, but while Norm was following the directions from the techs, Jake was jumping the gun and before anyone could stop him, he'd gone outside, Norm trying to keep up.

Kelly wasn't far behind, quickly overtaking Norm in the footrace and when Jake finally stopped by some bushes, she halted quickly. It was only when she noticed Jake burrowing his toes into the dirt, that Kelly did the same with her left foot. It felt suddenly strange being in a body that was whole.

"Hey, Marine!"

Both Jake and Kelly looked up when another Avatar came towards them wearing a Stanford tanktop.

"Grace?" Jake asked, amazed.

"Well, who'd you expect, numbnuts?" Grace replied with a smile. Grabbing two fruits off a nearby bush, she tossed one each to Kelly and Jake. When they caught the projectiles, Grace seemed pleased. "Motor control's looking good."

Kelly bit into the strange fruit and while the interior was similar to a passion fruit, the taste was a mix of strawberry, mango, and lime. "Man, that's good," she said, juice running down her face.

xxxx

After getting dressed in actual clothes, Grace had Jake, Norm, and Kelly run through the obstacle course to test out how the team moved. It was amazing to watch Jake. For someone who'd been paralyzed in their human body, he was remarkably swift and agile.

Norm was hesitant, making sure of his footing and balance rather than trying to increase his speed. He was a good kid and an excellent scientist, but Grace had the sneaking suspicion that the boy hadn't spent much time _out_ of the lab. Grace would have to keep an eye on Norm in case he got into trouble.

And Kelly…

Grace had stopped short when she'd noticed the prosthetic leg next to Kelly's link inside. And once Jake and Norm were loaded, Grace couldn't help studying the worn metal of Kelly's artificial leg. What must have been smooth, unblemished metal once was now rough and pitted. She couldn't blame Kelly for hiding the disability, considering how Grace had treated Jake.

Thinking on what Jake had said to her back in the lab, Grace understood wanting to prove yourself—to defy given limitations. Hell, even in this day and age not many people believed that girls could excel to as high a level as she'd had. Grace's expectations of Jake had been practically subterranean when she'd first seen him but maybe there was more to this broken Marine than she'd originally assumed.

xxxx

At the end of the day, Kelly felt only slightly tired, but more than that, she felt strangely exhilarated. It was the feeling she always had when she'd be dropped somewhere different. She had no idea what she was getting into and she loved the thrill of the unknown.

But coming out of the link, Kelly sat up and reality came crashing back as she saw the empty leg of her track pants. Sitting on the edge of the link bed, she managed to get the prosthetic back on but when she stood up, she had to take a moment to regain her balance. Glancing over at Jake, she saw him move from the link bed to his wheelchair.

Remembering the look of joy on Jake's face while in the Avatar body, Kelly thought that the young Marine now looked even more dejected than he had the last night. After a while, Kelly followed Jake and Norm to the mess hall, her limp more pronounced now than it had been in ages.


End file.
